mkv won't play on Blu-ray after mkvmerge

[smogo]

Hi, I hope someone can shine some light on this. I have an mkv file that plays fine on my Toshiba BDX1200 Blu-ray, but I needed to add English subtitles. So I used mkvmerge to do that, and the resultant file plays on my PC, but not on the Blu-ray. In fact, whenever I try to play it on my Blu-ray, it freezes the machine and I have to unplug it at the mains.

Below are the mkvinfo details for each of the files. I've bolded the parts that look like they might be causing the problem, but would like some advice.

Thanks
Cliff

ORIGINAL FILE
+ EBML head
|+ EBML version: 1
|+ EBML read version: 1
|+ EBML maximum ID length: 4
|+ EBML maximum size length: 8
|+ Doc type: matroska
|+ Doc type version: 2
|+ Doc type read version: 2
+ Segment, size 2096666348
|+ Seek head
| + Seek entry
| + Seek ID: 0x15 0x49 0xa9 0x66 (KaxInfo)
| + Seek position: 4099
| + Seek entry
| + Seek ID: 0x16 0x54 0xae 0x6b (KaxTracks)
| + Seek position: 4296
| + Seek entry
| + Seek ID: 0x1c 0x53 0xbb 0x6b (KaxCues)
| + Seek position: 2096642186
|+ EbmlVoid (size: 4044)
|+ Segment information
| + Timecode scale: 1000000
| + Muxing application: libebml v1.0.0 + libmatroska v1.0.0
| + Writing application: mkvmerge v4.0.0 ('The Stars were mine') built on Jun 6 2010 16:18:42
| + Duration: 5546.859s (01:32:26.859)
| + Date: Mon Apr 30 00:53:56 2012 UTC
| + Title: Livid.2011.720p.BDRip.x264.DTS-Zoo
| + Segment UID: 0x87 0xe1 0xbd 0xe3 0xaf 0xdf 0x3d 0x7e 0x82 0x2e 0xc3 0x34 0x66 0xbc 0x12 0x57
|+ Segment tracks
| + A track
| + Track number: 1 (track ID for mkvmerge & mkvextract: 0)
| + Track UID: 1
| + Track type: video
| + Default flag: 0
| + Lacing flag: 0
| + MinCache: 1
| + Codec ID: V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
| + CodecPrivate, length 40 (h.264 profile: High @L4.1)
| + Default duration: 41.708ms (23.976 frames/fields per second for a video track)
| + Language: und
| + Name: Livid.2011.720p.BDRip.x264.DTS-Zoo
| + Video track
| + Pixel width: 1280
| + Pixel height: 544
| + Display width: 1280
| + Display height: 544
| + A track
| + Track number: 2 (track ID for mkvmerge & mkvextract: 1)
| + Track UID: 4267148982
| + Track type: audio
| + Codec ID: A_DTS
| + Language: und
| + Name: Livid.2011.720p.BDRip.x264.DTS-Zoo
| + Audio track
| + Sampling frequency: 48000
| + Channels: 6
|+ EbmlVoid (size: 1081)
|+ Cluster

SUBTITLED FILE
+ EBML head
|+ EBML version: 1
|+ EBML read version: 1
|+ EBML maximum ID length: 4
|+ EBML maximum size length: 8
|+ Doc type: matroska
|+ Doc type version: 2
|+ Doc type read version: 2
+ Segment, size 2094460492
|+ Seek head
| + Seek entry
| + Seek ID: 0x15 0x49 0xa9 0x66 (KaxInfo)
| + Seek position: 4099
| + Seek entry
| + Seek ID: 0x16 0x54 0xae 0x6b (KaxTracks)
| + Seek position: 4290
| + Seek entry
| + Seek ID: 0x1c 0x53 0xbb 0x6b (KaxCues)
| + Seek position: 2094436330
|+ EbmlVoid (size: 4044)
|+ Segment information
| + Timecode scale: 1000000
| + Muxing application: libebml v1.2.3 + libmatroska v1.3.0
| + Writing application: mkvmerge v5.7.0 ('The Whirlwind') built on Jul 8 2012 20:08:51
| + Duration: 5546.842s (01:32:26.842)
| + Date: Wed Aug 15 18:49:09 2012 UTC
| + Title: Livid.2011.720p.BDRip.x264.DTS-Zoo
| + Segment UID: 0x9b 0x87 0xc4 0x90 0xbd 0x00 0xa8 0x94 0xb2 0xa5 0x70 0xa9 0x47 0x69 0xb7 0x05
|+ Segment tracks
| + A track
| + Track number: 1 (track ID for mkvmerge & mkvextract: 0)
| + Track UID: 1
| + Track type: video
| + Default flag: 0
| + Lacing flag: 0
| + MinCache: 1
| + Codec ID: V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
| + CodecPrivate, length 40 (h.264 profile: High @L4.1)
| + Default duration: 41.708ms (23.976 frames/fields per second for a video track)
| + Language: und
| + Name: Livid.2011.720p.BDRip.x264.DTS-Zoo
| + Video track
| + Pixel width: 1280
| + Pixel height: 544
| + Display width: 1280
| + Display height: 544
| + Content encodings
| + Content encoding
| + Content compression
| + Algorithm: 3 (header removal)
| + Settings: length 1, data: 0x00
| + A track
| + Track number: 2 (track ID for mkvmerge & mkvextract: 1)
| + Track UID: 4267148982
| + Track type: audio
| + Codec ID: A_DTS
| + Default duration: 10.667ms (93.750 frames/fields per second for a video track)
| + Language: und
| + Name: Livid.2011.720p.BDRip.x264.DTS-Zoo
| + Audio track
| + Sampling frequency: 48000
| + Channels: 6
| + Content encodings
| + Content encoding
| + Content compression
| + Algorithm: 3 (header removal)
| + Settings: length 4, data: 0x7f 0xfe 0x80 0x01
| + A track
| + Track number: 3 (track ID for mkvmerge & mkvextract: 2)
| + Track UID: 2520180893
| + Track type: subtitles
| + Lacing flag: 0
| + Codec ID: S_TEXT/UTF8
| + Language: und
|+ EbmlVoid (size: 1135)
|+ Cluster

[jman98]

I have no way to know if this is your problem, but I'll mention it just in case. If your subtitle file was edited, created or even just opened and saved on an Apple or Linux computer, it will change the end of line markers in the file and some standalone players cannot play subtitles unless they have Windows end of line markers. The solution is very simple - open the file under Windows with Word, Notepad or Wordpad and save it. Then remux.

It looks like your subtitles are in Sub Station Alpha (aka ASS) format. If my solution fails then I would convert these to SRT and remux that as that will probably fix whatever issue is going on with the subs.

[hello_hello]

Check "Disable header removal compression" in MKVMergeGUI's options if it isn't already checked. Many hardware players don't like it. Why it's unchecked by default I don't know.....

Failing that, I'd remux the video one stream at a time.... just video, then video and audio, then video, audio and subtitles..... you might track down the problem that way.

[smogo]

Thanks both.

jman98's suggestion didn't work...

... but hello_hello's did! Although I'm using a version of MKVMergeGUI without that option, so for anyone reading this who's struggling to find it, the equivalent option in later versions of the software is "Compression: none" under the "Extra options" tab.

Thanks again!

Cliff

[hello_hello]

File/Options gets you into the options and where you can set header removal compression to be disabled by default.

[akbagaria]

Check "Disable header removal compression" in MKVMergeGUI's options if it isn't already checked. Many hardware players don't like it. Why it's unchecked by default I don't know.....

Failing that, I'd remux the video one stream at a time.... just video, then video and audio, then video, audio and subtitles..... you might track down the problem that way.

Your suggestion to check " Disable Header Removal Compression " worked in my case. I was not able to play any video file written by mkvmerge with " libebmlv1.2.3 + libmatroska v1.3.0 on my Seagate Free Agent Theatre + HD Media Player.
Now any downloaded video file will have to be run through mkvmerge with option to check -"disable header removal compression"
Thanks,
akbagaria

[hello_hello]

I'm glad I helped.
Generally I remux pretty every much every file I "acquire" no matter where it comes from. Mostly, MKVs won't have header removal compression enabled these days but I always remux everything to fix/check stream names and set default streams etc anyway.

[akbagaria]

Dear Mr hello hello,
I would once again thank you for your most valuable suggestion which has helped me immensely. So far i had been re coding each and every file into mp4 container with h264 codec which was taking almost 90 minutes for every conversion. Now it takes hardly a few minutes say 10 to 15 minutes.
CAN YOU SUGGEST ME ANY FREE SOFTWARE TO CONVERT AUDIO FILES OTHER THAN AUDACITY.
ASHOK

[hello_hello]

It's possibly a lot of program for converting audio, but do you have MeGUI installed?

It's another "encoder GUI" but the video and audio encoding aren't tied together as much as they are with some other software. The main MeGUI window is divided into halves, the top half for setting up video conversions, the bottom half for audio. So even if you never convert video with it, you can load all sorts of audio files into the audio section for conversion. You can even load several video types into the audio section and MeGUI will convert the audio within. It'll mix down to stereo, normalise.... the usual things. You can set up your own conversion presets and it'll convert to AC3, FLAC, MP2, MP3, AAC and Ogg.

Alternatively, I use foobar2000 for much of my audio converting. It's actually an audio player, but it's a good converter too. You can also set up conversion presets. It won't "normalize" while converting though. Not in the usual sense anyway, but it will scan files using ReplayGain and apply ReplayGain while converting. As I generally don't normalize when converting, it doesn't bother me.
The main reason I use foobar2000 quite a bit is once you've set it up (which can admittedly be a bit fiddly) it's really easy to load files into a playlist for converting. And you can load one file or hunders of files, right click, select your conversion preset and let foobar2000 do it's thing. It'll convert as many files simultaneously as you have CPU cores. It also has a plugin for mixing 5.1ch audio down to stereo. As well as converting multiple files at a time, foobar2000 will also convert to multiple formats simultaneously. Handy if you've got (for example) a few files you want to convert to both AAC and MP3. Just highlight, right click, select your AAC preset, then again using your MP3 preset, and foobar2000 will convert them to AAC and MP3 at the same time. It'll also play/convert the audio inside AVI/MP4 and MKV files.

If you don't do a lot of converting and it's generally just a few at a time, and you don't mind installing it, MeGUI is fairly straightforward to use for converting audio (and my preferred video encoder GUI too). If you're a "power converter", foobar2000 is worth a look. It's a very good audio player anyway.

[hello_hello]

Dear Mr hello hello,
I would once again thank you for your most valuable suggestion which has helped me immensely. So far i had been re coding each and every file into mp4 container with h264 codec which was taking almost 90 minutes for every conversion. Now it takes hardly a few minutes say 10 to 15 minutes.

To me that sounds like forever. How large are the files?
As I work with lots of large files regularly I decided to spoil myself a little when building this PC (which is admittedly well overdue for an upgrade) and ensure I could move large files around at a reasonable speed. It's got four hard drives running in pairs as two RAID volumes. When I remux video I endevour to put the source files on one drive/volume and save the output to the other. With two hard drives reading and two writing I'd probably get impatient of remuxing/creating a 4GB MKV took too much longer than 30 to 45 seconds.

Mind you I don't need to use a particular format so I switched to MKV a long time ago. If I recall I was using YAMB much of the time to remux files as MP4s. I don't know if all MP4 muxers are as slow as YAMB but it extracts the streams, writes them to an image file, then it creates the MP4..... painfully slow compared to MKVMergeGUI which just reads the source files as it writes to MKV.

[akbagaria]

Dear Mr hello hello
Thanks for quick response and help.
I download movie files having dual audio from the web. Most of these files having audio extension as aac or ac3. I have two media players through which i can see movies on tv. But one of the media player only plays mp3 audio files where as video is not a problem. It plays most of them.
Now in order to use and play video Files through it i have to convert aac or ac3 files into mp3 and re-merge them. The problem with the convertd audio file is poor synchronisation even with " audacity" . I find good result (100%) with aiseesoft total video converter but that is a software that you will have to purchase. Alternately audacity does not give good results at all.
I have already with me MeGui and today with your advice tried to use it but i found that complicated. If you could teach me step by step i think will give it a try. Megui I am having is a stand alone one but if i could get a installer that would have been better. I could not understand in MeGui - what are these --"scratchpad, avisynth script,".
I will download foobar2000 and give it a try.
In the mean time any help and advice will be highly appreciated.
Ashok

[akbagaria]

It's possibly a lot of program for converting audio, but do you have MeGUI installed?

It's another "encoder GUI" but the video and audio encoding aren't tied together as much as they are with some other software. The main MeGUI window is divided into halves, the top half for setting up video conversions, the bottom half for audio. So even if you never convert video with it, you can load all sorts of audio files into the audio section for conversion. You can even load several video types into the audio section and MeGUI will convert the audio within. It'll mix down to stereo, normalise.... the usual things. You can set up your own conversion presets and it'll convert to AC3, FLAC, MP2, MP3, AAC and Ogg.

Alternatively, I use foobar2000 for much of my audio converting. It's actually an audio player, but it's a good converter too. You can also set up conversion presets. It won't "normalize" while converting though. Not in the usual sense anyway, but it will scan files using ReplayGain and apply ReplayGain while converting. As I generally don't normalize when converting, it doesn't bother me.
The main reason I use foobar2000 quite a bit is once you've set it up (which can admittedly be a bit fiddly) it's really easy to load files into a playlist for converting. And you can load one file or hunders of files, right click, select your conversion preset and let foobar2000 do it's thing. It'll convert as many files simultaneously as you have CPU cores. It also has a plugin for mixing 5.1ch audio down to stereo. As well as converting multiple files at a time, foobar2000 will also convert to multiple formats simultaneously. Handy if you've got (for example) a few files you want to convert to both AAC and MP3. Just highlight, right click, select your AAC preset, then again using your MP3 preset, and foobar2000 will convert them to AAC and MP3 at the same time. It'll also play/convert the audio inside AVI/MP4 and MKV files.

If you don't do a lot of converting and it's generally just a few at a time, and you don't mind installing it, MeGUI is fairly straightforward to use for converting audio (and my preferred video encoder GUI too). If you're a "power converter", foobar2000 is worth a look. It's a very good audio player anyway.

I have downloaded foobar2000 - 1.1.14a but that too seems to be more complicated. HandBrake is a very good software for conversion - I am using it. I need a simple uncomplicated audio converter which does not cause synchronisation problem. Hope you can understand my requirement. I would appreciate if you could guide me step by step for using MeGui - this seems to be a very useful software indeed. But I have not been able to use it properly.
Thanks in advance
ashok

[hello_hello]

MeGUI lets you set everything up "manually" and it also includes a "one click encoder" which automates the process. I've never used the one click encoder so I can't help you there, however..... If you're just wanting to use MeGUI to encode audio, you can probably skip to the last paragraph, but the following are the steps involved for a "complete" encode. Opening the original video, indexing it, extracting the audio, encoding etc....

Open a video file using the File/Open menu. When you do, MeGUI will open the file indexer. It's generally fine to use the indexer MeGUI chooses, just select which audio tracks you want to keep and then hit the Queue button. Everything MeGUI does needs to be added to it's job Queue and run from there. I submitted a feature request to add the ability to run jobs instantly by holding down the shift key while selecting the Queue button (or something similar) but I don't know if it'll ever happen. Anyway....

Switch the the Queue tab. The indexing job should be there. Select the Start button. MeGUI will index the video and extract the requested audio streams to your hard drive. When it's finished the AVS Script Creator will open along with a preview window. Don't stress if you're encoding a DVD and the aspect ratio looks wrong in the preview window, that's normal.

You set up your encode using the AVS Script Creator. It where you apply any cropping, choose your resizing etc. If you don't know what type of video the source is, switch to the Filters tab an run an analysis. MeGUI will work out if it's film or interlaced etc and suggest the appropriate de-interlacer if need be. I could write an essay on using the AVS Script creater but I have a headache at the moment, so have a play and if you have any questions.....

Once you've applied your cropping and resizing etc and you're good to go, hit the Save button and MeGUI will save the AVISynth script to your hard drive, It'll also add the script to the video half of MeGUI's main window. A second preview window should open at this point. It has a checkbox for displaying the video with the correct aspect ratio if it still looks streched etc. You can preview the video again or just close the preview window.

That's the setting up done, now you've just got to add the encoding to the job queue. The AVISynth script should be loaded into the video section and the extracted audio into the audio section. You'd select the appropriate video and audio encoder presets at this point. I won't go into details now, but hopefully choosing and configuring the encoders should be fairly self explanatory. You're not obligated to re-encode the audio. You can, but you can also add the extracted audio to the final output if you want to. I generally don't re-encode DVD 5.1ch AC3 audio. I just add it to the encoding job "as-is".

Anyway.... There's two Queue buttons on the main MeGUI window. The video queue button adds video encoding jobs to the queue, and the audio queue button does likewise. You can add the video and audio encoding to the job queue individually using the two queue buttons but you'll end up with separate video and audio files. It's nice you can do it that way, but if you want MeGUI to combine them for you.... don't use the Queue buttons, use the AutoEncode button instead. It adds everything in the main window to the job queue, so if you're re-encoding the audio, leave it loaded in the audio section. If you want to keep the original audio, use the "X" button to clear the audio section before using AutoEncode.

When you select the AutoEncode button a new window will open. If you want to mux existing audio or subtitles into the final MKV/MP4, check the "add existing streams" box. Hit okay and the window will expand to give you places to add existing audio or subtitles. Add the appropriate ones and select okay. AutoEncode will add a few jobs to the job Queue. Start the jobs running and when it's done you'll have a single MKV/MP4 containg the video and desired audio. If for some reason you need to encode to a specific file size, the AutoEncode window lets lets you specify one.

That's a rough guide to the steps involved. If you have any problems or questions etc, I'll help if I'm around. If you're only wanting to use MeGUI to re-encode the audio, then just use the Queue button in the audio section to add an audio encoding job. ie open a file, choose and/or configure the audio encoder, select "Queue". Load another audio file. Use the same encoder preset or select something different.... whatever is your pleasure, hit "Queue". Repeat the process for each audio file you wish to encode, switch to the Queue tab. Select start to run the encoding jobs. You can of course keep adding new encoding jobs to the queue while current jobs are running....

[Fiddler11]

I know this is an older tread, but I am trying to find settings for MKVmerge GUI v6.1.0 ('Old Devil') that will allow the files it creates to play on my Panasonic DMP-BDT220 Blu-ray player. The files play fine on my computer, and the Panasonic player recognizes the files both on a DVD-R and on a USB Flash drive, but when I try to play them, I get a video for 9 seconds before it freezes. The audio continues to play, however, until I press stop on the remote. I tried setting the compression (in the Extra options tab) to "none" when I make the conversion (from mp4), but the result is the same. I have also used other programs to convert from mp4 to mkv, but they take forever and make a file that is more than double the size of the original. These will play on the Panasonic, however. If I can get MKVmerge to work, it would save a lot of time a space. Thanks is advance for any help!

[hello_hello]

Try an older version of MKVMergeGUI. Versions prior to the last couple have a setting in options to disable header removal compression by default, but the latest version no longer uses it by default, so it shouldn't be the problem. If you can't find an older version which creates MKVs your player likes, try some of the links here: https://trac.bunkus.org/wiki/Troubleshooting

[Fiddler11]

Thanks for the quick response! I tried your suggestion and the resulting file still won't play. I also tried converting the MKV back to MP4 using a couple of other converter programs (which took more than an hour and made a file 3 times the size of the original MKV file), and they won't play either (but the original MP4 file that I converted to MKV will play). When I put the MKV file into Aimersoft Video Converter it says that the aspect ratio is 1920 X 1088 and I thought that MKVmerge was creating the wrong size from the MP4 file (and that is why it wouldn't play), but MediaInfo tells me that it is 1920 X 1080. Not sure which program is telling the truth. It would be great if there is a way to get MKVmerge to work since it converts files in a few seconds and makes files that are about the same size as the original. But I have already spent too many hours trying to figure this out, so I'm about to give up. I thought that the Panasonic DMP-BDT220 Blu-ray player was a popular player, but Google searches for a solution haven't shown that others are having the same problem. Oh well... Thanks again for your help, anyway!

[Selur]

Options for improving playback on players that don't implement the full Matroska specification might be worth a read,...

[hello_hello]

You could try Video To Video Converter. Drag and drop a file onto the main window and select Direct Stream Copy in the window which then opens for choosing the conversion method. It doesn't use MKVMerge for muxing and it's fairly quick and might create MKVs that your player will play.

[themaxx69]

Check "Disable header removal compression" in MKVMergeGUI's options if it isn't already checked. Many hardware players don't like it. Why it's unchecked by default I don't know.....

Failing that, I'd remux the video one stream at a time.... just video, then video and audio, then video, audio and subtitles..... you might track down the problem that way.

THANK YOU!!! Ran across this thread cause I had a similar problem. Simply checked the header option and it worked!

[peleust]

Check "Disable header removal compression"

I just wondered what else I'm missing here. It's still not working for me.

[aedipuss]

anything can be put in a mkv container. doesn't mean it'll play on a hardware based player, they are restricted in what they can play. try mediainfo on a mkv that won't play and post the text version of it here.

[redtrash]

Hi everybody,
I have the same issue, but the hello_hello's tricks don't works for me

My problem is with the Sony BDP-S185. (2010)
I have 2 M2TS files and i need to merge 1 of that video with both audio, so i put both files in MKVToolsNix souce and edit what i need, but when i mux the MKV file it can't be played by the player (give "The file can be damaged or not compatible"). It can be player by a PC without any problem.
I've tryed to mux just a simple M2TS, but the result don't change.
Of course the player can read MKV (tested) and can play M2TS files.
So i think the problem is in some options of MKVToolNix.
I've used different version, the last one, 5.7, 5.2, and now I'm trying the 4.4.0.7.
Any other suggestions?
Thanks

[El Heggunte]

The old versions of mmg enforced the header compression by default, BUT the recent ones do not.

Anyway: goto the Muxing menu, and add the following command-line options:

--engage no_cue_duration --engage no_cue_relative_position

H.T.H.

[redtrash]

Nothing won't work.


EDIT: ok, I've just noticed the 2 videos are compressed in different format:

>Video 1: Mpeg 1/2 + audio (All my test are based on Video1 + Video2's Audio )
>Video 2: Mpeg4 + audio

Now I'm trying to muxing the MKV using the Mpeg4 video.
I think this time is gonna work

[redtrash]

Edit: YESSSSS!

It WORKS!

So, damn Mpeg 1/2


Thanks for the support

[El Heggunte]

Edit: YESSSSS!

It WORKS!

So, damn Mpeg 1/2


Thanks for the support

The problem is not in MPEG-1 or MPEG-2, the problem is in the manufacturer of the device you bought.

http://www.google.com/search?complete=0&hl=en&safe=off&source=hp&q=%22sony+is+pure+evi...e+Search&gbv=1

[redtrash]

Edit: YESSSSS!

It WORKS!

So, damn Mpeg 1/2


Thanks for the support

The problem is not in MPEG-1 or MPEG-2, the problem is in the manufacturer of the device you bought.

http://www.google.com/search?complete=0&hl=en&safe=off&source=hp&q=%22sony+is+pure+evi...e+Search&gbv=1

uhm, interesting. Thanks

[mark1978]

mkvtoolnix works all right, it's a coding error during the transcoding. And sharing to a standalone bluray player can be done by using windows mediaplayer sharing option and moving video's to the video folder. Standalone bluray players can access those folders, like pictures, movies and music.

[mark1978]

must be the bitdepth of the video file. Setting output format to 440p with avanti (ffmpeg), makes the video work on standalone bluray players.